Elevated wire railway



(NQ Model.)

No. 282,200; Patented July 31, 1883.

.T UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEV SMITH H. KNAPP ALPHEUS ADAMS, OF DANBURY, CONNECTICUT.

T ELEVATED WIRE RAILWAY'.V

SPECIFICATION forming part of Lette'rsPatent No. 2812,200, dated July 31, V1883, Application filed Febuary;15,583.V (No noden e ToaZZw/wm, it may concern:

T the cars or carriages being providedwith-a vBe it known that we, SMITH H. KNAPP and ALrHEUs E. ADAMS, of Danbury, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and Impro'ved Electric Mail-4 and exact description. T

The object of our invention is to provide -a new and improved device for carrying mailmatter, dispatches, &c.,` in small cars or carriages, which are to run on wires supported on posts,in the same manner as telegraph-wires,

Carrier, of which the following is a full, clear, T

small electromotor, which is operated bythe current from a battery in the said car.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, formingpart of this specification, inl which similar letters of reference indicate cor responding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is an end elevation of the car,

` showing the same resting on the track. y y Fig.

2 is alongitudinal elevation of the same. i Fig.

.3 is a sectional plan view of the same on the line ma, Fig. l. Fig. 4 is an end view of the upper part of one ofthe posts. Fig. 51's alon-` gitudinal View of the same, T

On the upper ends of the poles A crosspieces B are secured, and on theends 4of the cross-pieces blocks C are fastened, which support uprights D, on the upper ends of which trackrwires E are secured. The poles orposts A are suitably spaced, care being taken not to make the distance between two posts too great. Brackets E' are arranged on the upper ends of the standards D forvthe purpose of stiffening and supporting the track-wires. At the stations the brackets E are made longer than at the other parts of the line. The standards D are insulated from the blocks C by means of rubber cushions or other insulating material, F. Two track-plates, Cr, having segmentally-curved surfaces which face each other, are secured onthe middle of the upper surface of each cross-'piece Bat the stations, which track-plates G form a groove which decreases in widthtoward the longitudinal middle line of the cross-pieceB on the pole, for a purposethat will be described hereinafter.

and from the bottom of the car H a longitudinal central partition, J, projects vertically,

which is of such depth `that its lower end can pass'in the groove formed by the track-plates G, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. `The partition J is provided with one or more laterallyprojecting shelves `or brackets, K, on each side, which brackets or shelves are adapted to receive boxes L, containing the mail-matter, dispatches, &c. The car H contains an`elec tric motor which acts on one of the axles, and it also contain'sa battery for producing the electric current and operating the motor. y At the stations the standards D are extended upward to form a curved or bent arm, D', at

D brake-levers M are pivoted, which are provided at the free ends with rods N, which exf tend down to the ground, which rods N can be locked at the lower ends for the purpose of holding the brake-levers M in the desired position. When the car arrives at a station and the wheels I run inpbetween the trackwir'esiE and the levers M, the friction produced will stop the car if the free end of the lever is lowered sufficiently. If the `cars are not to be stopped, the brake-lever M can be raised, so that the cars can pass under it without bringing the wheels in contact with the said brake-lever.` l p T y The boxes L are each provided on their inner sides-that is, on the sides toward the partitionJwith an eyeV or loop, O, adapted to receive hooks l?, projecting from the sides of the partition J, which hooks and eyes serve to hold the boxes Lon'` the shelves or brackets K of the car. Each box L is provided on the outer side, at the front and rear, with a hook, Q, which hooks are adapted to pass into eyes R, held on brackets or arms S of the standards D. The hooks l? are not arranged the same on each box L, nor are the eyes R arranged the same at each station 5 but the box L for a certain station must have its hooks l? so arranged that they can and'will pass into the eyes R at that station only, and not into the eyes of any other station. `In the same mannerevery other box L has its hooks so arrangedthat they will pass into the eyes of a certain station, and not As shown in into those of any other station. Fig. 3, the hooks P on the partition J must pro-j Tject in the inverse direction of the hooks Q on v e Y y 252,200

the bo xes L. rlhe ends of the boxes L are preferably made pointed or tapered, so that they will cut through the 'wind more easily.

The operation is as follows: The boxes for the several stations along the line are hung on their proper hooks on the partition J and rest On'the brackets or shelves K, the battery and v motor are adjusted andthe car is started.

When it arrives at the first station the hooks Q of the boxes L for the first station will catch in the eyes R at the said rst or corresponding station, and the box will be removed from the partition J and will be held at the station,

the car running-on to the next station and depositing the proper box at the second station, and so on until all the boxes have been deposited. If the car is to be detained at a station for anyreason whatever, or if the speed is to the eyes R at the station, and when the car comes along the corresponding hooks, I, of the car pass into ythe eyes O on the box, and thus disengage the box from its support at the station and carry it along, either to the main station or to any other place where the box is to be delivered. In Order that the hooks shall never fail to'pass into the eyes, and that the box L will always be caught, either by the hooks on the cars or by the hooks on the standards D at the station, it is necessarythat the partition J of the car should be perfetly vertical at the station 5 and for this reason we` have provided the curved guide or track plates G on the cross-pieces B at the stations, which track-plates form a groove which is wider at fthe ends than at the middle, and is adapted l cal, and guide the same in such a manner that railways maybe arranged, one to collect whilev running in one direction and the other to collect while running in the reverse direction, and one to deliverwhile ruiming in one direction and the other to 'deliver while running in the Opposite direction.

lVe have shown a car arranged to carry four boxes, L; but it is evident that the same can be arranged to carry a greater or less number, as lmay be desired.

car adapted to run on the same, and brake-lever pivoted above the track-wires for the purpose of checking the speed of the cars, substantially as herein shown and'described, and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination, with thetrack-wires E and the standard D, terminating in curved arms D, of the wheels I and the brake-levers M, pivoted to the ends Of the arms D', substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination, with the track-wires E,

Aof the car II, running on the same, and provided with a downwardly-proj ecting partition, J, and of the track-plates G on the cross-pieces B, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

4. The combination, with the track-wires E, of the car H, provided with a partition, J, and the track-plates G, having convex surfaces, facing each other, which track-plates are secured on the cross-pieces B, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

5. The combination, with the poles A, of the cross-pieces B,vthe standards D, the brackets E, and the track-wires E, supportedby the brackets, substantially as herein shown and described, and Vfor the purpose set forth.

6. The combinatiomwith the track-wires E, of the car H, having a' downwardly-projecting partition, J, shelves or brackets K, and boxes L, adapted to rest on the said brackets Or shelves, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

7. The combination, with the track-wires E, of the car II, having a downwardly-projecting partition, J, the shelves or brackets K, the boxes L, provided with eyes O on the sides toward the partition J, and of the hooks P, projecting from the partition J, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

8. The combination, with the track-wires E, of the car H, provided with a downwardlyprojecting partition, J, of the boxes L, provided with eyes O on the inner sides and hooks Q on the Outer sides, of the hooks P on the partition J, and of the eyes R on the arms S of the standards D, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set l forth;

SMITH H. KNAPP. ALPHEUS ELI ADAMS.

Vitnesses:

JOHN TWEEDY, DAvID B. BOOTH.

IOO

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